Half-Life Walkthrough
First, even if you are an
experienced HEV suit user, you
should avail yourself of the Hazard
Course. It teaches you how to use
the suit (the equivalent of armor in
other games) to its fullest
advantage, and that special long
jump module could save your life.
Second, as Black Mesa deals with a
wide variety of "special"
experiments, it is important to
remember that many useful items are
stored in the plethora of wooden
crates and containers throughout the
lab. Smash 'em all and look
inside-but avoid the ones marked
"Explosives" if you know what's good
for you.
Third, remember that the guards and
scientists are your friends; they
can watch your back, heal you, and
even get you out of a sticky
situation. Often, if one dies, you
cannot continue. Save early and
often.
Chapter 1: Anomalous Materials
This is mostly cinematics, an intro
that sets the mood and is pretty
cool in its own right. Not much to
do, though. After the intro train
ride, explore the lab a bit, talk to
people, find your (Gordon Freeman's)
locker, the HEV suit, then proceed
to the test chamber. In the test
chamber listen to your instructions,
and follow them to the letter. Then
watch as all hell breaks loose….
Chapter 2: Unforeseen Consequences
Now you're into the game proper. Use
the sputtering retinal scan device
to get the door to open slightly. As
you make your way out don't miss the
crowbar on the floor (you will need
it). You will need to have a
scientist follow you to activate the
next retinal scanner. In the main
lobby go through the hole (smash the
vent) to enter the next room.
Proceed to the area with the
hound-eye beasts (they look like
Smithfield hams with legs). Find a
square vent hole leading downwards
(to save health, kill the zombie on
the other side of the bars first).
Enter the sewer, find the other
square hole vent (in the ceiling
this time) and the valve. Turn the
valve, which floods the tunnel, swim
up through that second hole.
On the descending platform dodge the
falling head crabs by moving side to
side. Later use ledges to avoid the
falling floor pipes. And you can use
the crates to make a bridge in the
water, or just swim around until you
can ascend on the other side.
Chapter 3: Office Complex
Avoid the dangling live wire and use
the vent to enter the room with the
scientists (watch out for the
'fisher-tongue' critters on the
ceiling). There is an electrical
room, and you can shut off the power
there. Exit through the door and now
you can safely bypass the live wire.
When you find the guard in the
little control room, try and save
him by killing the zombie who
attacks him. Do it fast enough, and
he'll survive to let you in, where
you can pick up a shotgun, some
ammo, and other nifty toys.
In the flooded room turn the power
off with the light-switch, making
the water safe to navigate. Open the
vent and exit the room, but beware
of the fan blade in the vent shaft
(duck to proceed).
Guards make good diversions for the
annoying head crabs and security
guns you'll find on the stairs.
Proceed to the freezer.
Hit the red switch at the far end,
and use the ladder to enter the duct
system. Jump onto the moving
platform from the upper levels of
the shelves, and move on through the
vent.
The elevator is out. Make a running
jump and push 'up' to grab and climb
the ladder. Continue moving around
the shaft climbing ladders until you
reach the top of the elevator, and
break the vent with the crowbar to
drop down.
Chapter 4: We've got Hostiles
Jump or duck to avoid the red or
blue trip lasers (red activates
sentry guns, and blue sets off nasty
explosions).
Fight the soldiers, but if aliens
are around, let them kill each
other. Beware flanking tactics and
grenades from the soldiers (they are
very smart). Continue on until you
can take the elevator to the
surface.
An Osprey drops guards on the
surface to massacre you. Kill all on
the ground and make for the bunker
(if you wait, the plane airdrops
more, and more). Don't hesitate,
explosions are constantly rocking
the ground and will eventually get
you if you dally.
In the vent system avoid the fan,
kill the soldiers, and use the
middle vent (the other two go
nowhere) and find a computer panel;
activate it to exit.
Chapter 5: Blast Pit
Find the train/tram, jump on it and
hit 'use' to activate it (forward
makes it go faster). Best of all it
runs down a lot of the monsters in
the tunnel. Note: at full speed the
train will break through the barrier
and send you flying (not necessarily
a bad thing as you can still
continue providing you can afford
the health), use the boxes to climb
past the slime to the pipe.
Continue on and see what is
happening at the Test Fire Chamber.
Its not a pretty sight, but that
horrible monster needs to be killed
how convenient that it is sitting
under a rocket engine. To fire the
engine and kill the critter, you
must provide oxygen, power, and
fuel. To do this you must get past
the tentacles….
You have two choices: you can walk
and crouch past and descend to the
various hallways that lead to the
controls rooms, or you can use
grenades or shotgun blasts to cause
the tentacles to retreat briefly
(then you run for it, repeating the
blast at every platform). When going
after the oxygen, fuel and power
switches, remember: the order is not
important.
Oxygen & Fuel switches: Go down to
the level directly below you, and
break the boards with your crowbar
to exit the chamber. Cross the
bridge (hint: don't shoot at the
alien on the bridge, those boxes
explode and will make you have to
jump across) and follow the red and
blue pipes down the hallway. Break
the sewer grate and drop into the
pipes, follow the pipe and turn
left, then climb up.
Approach the huge fan and before
pushing the button you'd better save
the game (this is dangerous). Hit
the button and run up the ladder
hopefully avoiding the fan blades
now in motion. Once the fan hits
full speed jump toward it and ride
the air current up to the boarded up
ceiling (use your crowbar to break
them). Use the vent to get to the
Oxygen/Fuel control room and
activate both. Exit by using the
ladder and head back for the test
chamber and the giant tentacle
monster.
Power switch: Descend to the lowest
level, avoiding the tentacles as you
did before (explosives or skulking).
The walkways have huge holes in them
and these jumps are tough, save
first. It helps to look downward to
time the jump better.
Once across you will see a huge
puddle of water on the floor (this
will become electrified soon, so you
might want to arrange the boxes to
form a bridge now) move across it
and enter the room. Avoid or kill
the fisher/tongue creatures that
hang from the ceiling and activate
the elevator with the button.
Look to your right when it arrives;
see that ladder? As the lift
descends, but before it breaks and
falls, make a flying leap for that
ladder. Descend the ladder to the
radioactive goo and piping. Walk on
the pipes to avoid damage. Find the
generator room and activate both
switches (do not do this while on
top of it though, or you'll become
all dead and crispy). Watch the
spinning platform to get the timing
right and exit the generator room
safely. Climb the ladder again, and
look for a platform to jump to.
Once you reach that puddle again you
will either have it easy (you made a
box bridge before hand) or hard (you
didn't); the electrified pool is
extremely damaging. If you have set
up the boxes, cross using them. If
not you can move two crates to form
a bridge most of the way, but it
will still cost you around 20 health
to make it across.
Now that the oxygen, fuel, and power
are on, you can make some fried
calamari by ascending to the top and
hitting the now active test fire
button. Watch the tentacles go boom
(you won't take damage if you back
away as far as you can go away from
the window, but you'll miss a pretty
explosion).
Exit through the hole once occupied
by the tentacle monster. Fall
through the center or you will die
by hitting the slanted ground first.
Grab the .357 magnum at the bottom
of the pool. Swim around until you
find a broken pipe to swim through,
walk on the pipes until you reach
one suspended by cables.
Look across and see a very hard jump
to an opening with a broken grate.
Make the jump and beware, the pipe
ahead will break (note the wall
discoloration); if you fall with the
pipe you will perish, so jump back
as it falls. Use the small ledges on
the sides to make a controlled
descent into the room. Kill the head
crab under the table and collect the
power-ups.
CHAPTER 6: Power Up
Through the tunnel you come upon an
open area where there is a massive
firefight going on. A gargantuan
armored alien beast is making short
work of a handful of the
government's best and bravest. They
don't deserve your help; after all,
haven't they been trying their best
to perforate your geeky skin? Make a
break for the open passageway
(across from you, behind the beast)
as soon as you can. Waiting for the
soldiers to die just makes the
beastie gun for you (not good).
When you reach the red doors, find
the valve-wheel, turn it until the
doors open and climb up through the
opening. Follow the signs to the
Power Generator (signs mark the
route). Shoot the trip mines below
you, or simply send a detpack (those
explosives you may have found) down
the elevator without you.
After the elevator take the stairs
down to the bottom, enter the
flooded room (watch out, those
fish-things pack a tiny bite, but
you can kill them with your crowbar)
and destroy the boxes obstructing
the generator. Climb up one level of
those stairs to turn on the fan.
Then head back to where the
gargantua is waiting (by now all the
soldiers are dead). Rush past the
beast and go immediately to your
left down the corridor. Find the
switch, and then head back to the
corridor you that you just came
from.
You need to find the track control
room. You'll find it by going up and
leaping across the hole. There is a
wounded guard there who'll talk with
you a while if you like. Turn on the
power and the beast will eventually
walk into the electric stream and
die. Or, before you do any of this
you will find that monster killable
if you use explosives. Grenades,
detpacks, — whatever you got so long
as it goes boom. Frankly, though,
it's not worth the ammo. Fry him.
Ride the train to the middle of the
room, go back to the track control
room and use the switch to turn the
train to the other track. Then ride
the train through the boxes.
Chapter 7: On a Rail
Tips for the enormous train areas:
Shoot the arrow-signs to switch the
track. Stop the train whenever you
find an area with monsters, doors,
or ladders. It is much more
dangerous to go through this area
without the train (but it can be
done) as the water and train rail
are electrified. Look for switches,
boxes, sentry guns, and monsters. If
you seem to be going in circles on
the train find an arrow sign to
shoot so you switch tracks.
When you come upon soldiers using
mounted rocket launchers get off the
train, crouch, and use your big
weapons to fry them. The rockets
pass harmlessly overhead if you are
crouched (the train can protect you
from these as well, simply crouch
and speed by them, but you will
sometimes miss power-ups).
Finally, after much rail travel, you
will come upon a nasty situation. A
huge bunker with a cannon in it, a
machine gun nest on the left, and an
open area with lots of soldiers
around the corner. Use a grenade to
take out the machine gunner, and
hide behind the boxes to avoid
cannon-fire. You can push the boxes
ahead of you to get in closer to the
bunker. If you are lucky you can run
past the bunker, into the corridor,
guns a'blazing and hope to take out
the soldiers fast enough. But you
can buy yourself a little time to
snipe if you take out that cannon.
Rush it, climb atop it, and drop a
grenade or detpack into it is one
way. Or throw grenades at the top
and hope you get lucky by killing
the gunner.
Now you come upon a staircase, with
lots of red-laser trip mines. Since
there are no sentry guns you may
figure you can jump these safely.
You thought wrong. See the
explosives lining the walls? What
you need to do is push the boxes
under the second laser, run back and
up the stairs, moving under the
first laser (crouch). Then jump onto
the box, then over the last laser
and to the door. Watch out for a
couple of soldiers nearby.
Move along until you find the launch
controls. Launch the rocket, and
stay at the window for the show!
Remember you have to exit the way
you came, which means avoiding the
trip mine staircase!
Chapter 8: Apprehension
Get on the train and start her up,
you are in for a hell of a ride. You
get the opportunity to get off the
train before it crashes, and you can
do that, but you can also ride it [Image]
all the way down the hole into the
drink. Swim to the bottom of the
pool and release the crates down
there, when they float to the
surface you can use them as a bridge
to get to the other side corridor.
Lots of swimming, lots of searching,
but soon enough you'll enter a large
room with a pool and a suspended
cage. Climb up to the top of the
cage and grab the crossbow before
descending into it. Use the switch
to drop the cage into the drink.
Kill the LARGE fish monster with the
crossbow (the 9mm pistol also works
—none of your other weapons work
underwater… except the trip mines,
which make for a satisfying, but
difficult, kill).
If you are fast you can skip the
fish, but it is much easier to open
the grate and leave the room by
killing it first.
When you reach the large control
room with the three huge pistons you
have to turn them on, and then jump
from one to the other to reach the
suspended catwalk. Kill all the
monsters and then the scientist will
let you into the room. He tells you
there isn't anything but danger in
the cold room (believe him) and run
like mad through it (the cold does
damage) until you find the ladder
that leads out.
After the nice guard gets
assassinated mid-sentence you will
have to face one of the greatest
enemies a 3D action game has given
us. The leather clad sniper/assassin
girls. These quick moving targets
are best dispatched with the
crossbow from afar (use zoom mode)
or by relentlessly chasing them
through the room with the machine
gun or shotgun blazing. Once they
are all killed (there are three),
you can move up the catwalk to the
platform and use the wheel to open
the door.
There appears to be no way to avoid
what happens next. Gordon gets
captured by two sadistic guards who
figure its better to kill him and
hide the body than deal with the
paperwork. So they place you in a
Batman TV series (the Adam West 60's
version) deathtrap, and then they
don't wait around to see if it
works.
No weapons, but you still have your
HEV suit and the walls start closing
in on you. Carefully but quickly,
climb the crates to the ledge, wait
until the walls close and use them
as a bridge to the other side. Grab
the crowbar and break open the grate
to leave the room.
Chapter 9: Residue Processing
Lots of traps, noxious gasses,
radioactive mess, and danger in this
sprawling jump-fest of a level…
BASIC TIPS:
Save often, jump carefully, and time
your movements through moving
machinery well.
When you reach the large vats use
the plungers to make it to the other
side. Duck under the grinding
wheels. Upon reaching the control
room note the conveyer belts and the
massive pounders, move all three
switches to the up position and go
and press the green button. Don't
dally, they pounders don't stop for
long, run up either conveyer.
Jump from conveyer belt to conveyer
belt until you see two conveyers
side by side, get to the one of your
left. To get rid of the nasty trip
mine around the corner you want to
drop a detpack on the belt, wait
around five seconds, and detonate
(be sure to backpedal to avoid the
blast).
Chapter 10: Questionable Ethics
Shoot the electrode switch on the
fence to open the door. Once inside
note the terrifying monster behind
the glass, take a deep breath, then
break the glass over the switch, and
press the button. Fight the monster
with whatever weapon you wish but
note the armored areas, only fire
into areas that give you that
yellow-green blood reward.
Run around and try to let the
monsters fight the soldiers for you,
once the battle is over pick off the
survivors. Find four rooms with
switches and turn on all the lasers.
Then find the room with the sign
that says "Do Not Obstruct Laser
Shield". Move the box underneath the
laser and then press the button,
which lowers the shield and the box
obstructs it from blocking the beam.
The beam burns through the wall and
you have your way out… but be sure
to pick up the funky gun from the
scientists in one of the other laser
rooms before you leave.
Chapter 11: Surface Tension
A situation like this isn't pretty.
You have a dam in front of you, with
a bunker shooting bazooka rounds, a
long drop off to one side, and a
pool of water with a vicious monster
fish on the other… oh, and don't
forget the lethal attack helicopter
circling above. You can destroy the
chopper but it is extremely
difficult and not really worth the
effort. Head immediately into the
water, and up the ladder to the
tower on the far side. Try and keep
the tower between you and the
chopper, also beware the snipers on
the dam; head inside and pull the
switch. Jump back into the water and
kill the fish, or avoid it. Make for
the wall of the dam and find the red
wheel. Turn it and swim through the
open grate.
In the next clearing you'll find
another seemingly bad situation, a
familiar looking tentacle monster
guards some ammo and power-ups
(again a grenade will buy you time
to grab it, but it isn't necessary),
the attack chopper is still tracking
you, and these odd bulges in the
ground keep sending head crabs your
way. Best to head over to the small
hole to the right. Watch out… there
is a mine field beyond. Use grenades
or your machine gun to detonate the
mines before proceeding. Continue on
until you find a red wheel to turn
and then head back to the now open
grate. Be careful, this fall will
kill you… use the ladder to descend.
This next area, an open area of
pipes, canals, and sand bunkers,
displays Half-Life's brilliant
soldier AI perfectly — much to your
chagrin. The best way to handle this
situation is to climb up the ladder,
pop up fast like a gofer, use the
crossbow or .357 magnum to quickly
dispatch nearby soldiers, and pop
back down fast. Move quickly, as the
soldiers will soon begin sending
grenades down all nearby holes.
Repeat this process with as many of
the pipe tunnels as possible. As far
as the tank is concerned — the laser
guided missile launcher is
recommended, as is jumping on it and
dropping a couple detpacks. Strafe
and try to use grenades or missiles
to destroy the next armored vehicle,
which while somewhat lighter than
the tank is no less deadly.
In this area proceed cautiously.
Avoid trip mines and land mines, and
watch out for snipers (two of them)
in the windows (a rocket or grenade
works wonders here). Blow up the
barrels to knock out the power and
crawl under the barbed wire to get
to the fallen power lines. Climb to
the roof and jump into the hole.
DO NOT SET OFF ANY TRIP MINES IN THE
NEXT AREA! Why? Because there are a
couple of nukes in the warehouse and
some idiot decided to trip mine the
entire area. Be careful when moving
crates as some of them can pass
through, or are connected to, trip
mines. The easiest way to handle
this tense situation is to turn your
computer off — just kidding. Find
the crate that rests on a simple
lift and destroy it. Push a crate to
the stairs and jump over the laser
line, enter the control room
carefully and activate the lift (if
you didn't destroy that crate…
boom). From the lift at its highest
position jump into the central area
and descend to safety.
Around a corner you'll find some big
aliens; let the soldiers take care
of them for you. Round the corner
and kill any survivors and strafe to
kill the tank. As you continue,
watch out for a sniper in the window
as you round the second corner (this
sniper can make continuing
impossible if she kills the nearby
guard). Go up the stairs and find
the guard. Have him open the locked
storage room for you, and grab the
power-ups. Go through the window and
leap to the opposing ledge. Climb up
on the roof and drop down to take
care of any opposition. Then climb
back up and proceed to the opposite
hallway (use the rafters).
The next clearing features more of
those hornet gun armed aliens and a
circling transport regularly
dropping troopers. Let them fight it
out while you make a dash for the
tunnel. Move through the tunnel
until you reach the alley where you
left that guard you needed to open
the locked door. Enter the room,
grab some health from the station
and move up the stairs and up to the
big cannon. Use the cannon to kill
any soldiers and blast open the big
door you can barely see to your
left.
Whew! Use any of the mounted machine
guns to clear the waves upon waves
of aliens coming at you and use the
'bounce crater' trampoline to jump
the wall. Break open the grating and
beware the insect-things (called
snarks). Kill or avoid them (they
self-destruct after around 25
seconds). Enter the shaft, kill the
soldiers in the next room, and use
the tank to kill the aliens that
appear. Use the mechanic's lift to
exit the room , then use the bounce
crater to get to the next area.
Now use the green map to call in
airstrikes to get out of here. Call
one on the wall across the moat, the
fortress door, and the tower before
you. Climb across the moat on the
fallen tower and you are done.
Chapter 12: Forget about Freeman
No real puzzles here, just a lot of
enemies and killing have fun!
As the ceiling and walls come down
try to climb up and through the
newly created hallway. Proceed and
fight your way through. Hint: You
can avoid the tank by running like
mad to the elevator. Watch for
ambushes, sentry guns, and trip
mines.
Chapter 13: Lambda Core
After the snipers are dispatched
kill all monsters you find. Once
finished the scientist opens the
door; grab the big experimental gun
he's been building. Activate each
cooling system switch and enter the
water, swim to the reactor and
activate both switches. Climb out
and hurry as the reactor begins
shooting lightning.
Time it correctly to use the
teleporter to get yourself inside
the core and on the rotating
platform. Jump across to each door
in turn, then up to the next level
of the puzzle. It's challenging but
fairly obvious once you get a good
look at it. Once finished open the
door and meet the scientist and the
guard, listen to their story and
grab everything they offer you.
Once the process for activating the
big teleporter (that allows you to
bring the pain to the alien world)
starts, try and kill the flying
aliens as fast as possible don't let
them kill the scientist opening the
'porter. Once he says go you'd
better hurry.
Chapter 14: Xen
Welcome to Half-Life Super Mario
style. Use your super long jump
ability to go from floating platform
to floating platform, and don't
fall. If you see a pool of water
from now on, stand in it and it will
slowly heal you.
In the big chamber on the center
island 'use' each of the strange
mushroom things, then break the
webbing imprisoning the floating
lights (butterfly things). They each
go to an open mushroom and activates
the teleporter.
Chapter 15: Gonarch's Lair
Head crabs have to come from
somewhere right? Ugh, she is a bad
momma. Aim for the egg sack on the
bottom of this exceedingly strange
monster. If it releases pupae
versions of the head crabs, use the
hornet gun on them. Once Gonarch
runs away follow her to the next
area and keep fighting, while trying
to stay alive. If low on health try
and get to the hole and drop down to
the ledge below, watching for adult
head crabs. In the tunnels down
there you'll find some ammo and a
healing pool. Then use the bounce
crater to re-enter the fray.
After you do enough damage a third
area opens up and you fall into a
pit. Fire at the sack repeatedly
until Gonarch drops down with you.
Then hide behind the strange tree
things until you eventually kill
her. Note that you can, if careful,
avoid being sucked into the pit
until you're good and ready. Toss
some grenades and det packs in on
top of old Gonarch to soften 'er up
before getting up close and
personal.
Chapter 16: Interloper
Look for a yellow colored area
inside the cave, remove the webs and
ride the white tower elevator to the
top. More jumping, just like in Xen,
but this time it's much harder. Jump
from floating rock to floating rock
until you come within range of those
strange winged bird things - jump on
one of them and ride its back to the
teleporter.
Use a grenade or walk slowly past
another tentacle monster and proceed
to the next teleporter. Once you
enter the factory you'll see why
those lightning spewing beasties are
called slaves --kill them if you
like, but they won't attack you. The
fliers are what you need to worry
about. Take the lifts to the
conveyers and enter the one that
doesn't have a blue forcefield. In
the next area avoid destroying the
large barrels… they contain hornet
toting aliens with a bad attitude.
Enter the red vents to find a large
room with spinning cog-like lifts,
ride them all the way up to another
teleporter.
Chapter 17: Nihilanth
Welcome to the end boss watch out,
he may look like a big baby, and he
is quite cranky, but he has powers
that will annoy the hell out of you.
Avoid the lightening balls he
throws, but most of all use the rock
formations as cover when he tosses a
green energy ball. These teleport
you to the most annoying mini-levels
you'll face.
The idea here is to destroy the
three triangles. You have to use the
bounce craters to get high enough to
nail the last one and then start
shooting at Nihilanth's big ole
head. After enough hits his head
opens up and you need to send a
couple detpacks, grenades, or
yourself inside there to destroy his
brain. Good luck, you will need it!
Once the big baby is destroyed you
are treated to a wonderful cutscene
featuring that suited character you
may've seen. He sheds much light on
this affair and gives you a choice
of outcomes for the endgame. I won't
reveal these to you, though; after
all, you have to do something for
yourself!
